Because of the high security provided to him, mumbai : Initial investigation by the city police into the firing at actor Tiger Shroff has indicated that actor Salman Khan was the real target of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang but they abandoned the plan.
The Bishnoi gang had fired at the actor’s bungalow in 2024, prompting the police to enhance his security. On April 14, 2024, shots were fired by two bike-borne men outside Khan’s Bandra residence, Galaxy Apartments. The gang has referred to the 1998 blackbuck case for targeting Khan. In Oct 1998, Khan was in Rajasthan to shoot for ‘Hum Saath-Saath Hain’ when, during the filming, two blackbucks were killed on the outskirts of Jodhpur. Pandit allegedly plotted the attack on Shroff 2.5 months ago, recruiting three men and transferring Rs 37,000 to one of them, Rehan Ansari (18), to execute the plan, and communicated over VoIP. Ansari (18) from Haryana’s Sonipat, Phool Singh (18) from Sonipat and Hrithik Roshan (22) from Mumbai’s Andheri (originally from Begusarai in Bihar) were arrested aboard Pune-Jaipur Express on Monday. She claimed Rehan left home about 20 days before the incident after a man promised him Rs 2 lakh and a job.
Because of financial difficulties, ansari studied until Class 9 before reportedly dropping out.
Any attack on a Bollywood celebrity would have created fear, police sources said. The gang had issued threats to Shroff prior to the attack, sources said. The trio told Kota police that Pandit had promised them more money and a bright future abroad after they completed the assignment and crossed into Nepal. Ansari was allegedly recruited by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang through social media, police sources said. His mother, Shamshida, told the media that her son should be punished if found guilty, but those who allegedly lured him into crime should also be held accountable.
They subsequently shifted their focus to Tiger Shroff as he is very low-profile and moves around without any security. Senior police officers declined to comment on the issue, saying they are yet to interrogate the three arrested accused who are being brought by road from Kota and were expected to reach early Wednesday. Police dismissed apprehensions about bringing the accused by road. Salman was targeted in the past too. The FSL team has recovered the seven bullets that were fired, and they have been sent for a ballistic test. Police are yet to recover the two firearms used in the firing. Mumbai police identified Roshan after examining mobile network dump data from Juhu, where the firing occurred. One number detected by the local mobile tower belonged to Roshan, who allegedly fired five rounds at the actor’s car. Police suspect the gang uses online platforms and local handlers to identify and recruit vulnerable youths, particularly teenagers from economically weaker and lower-middle-class families. Several recruits reportedly come from northern states. He was learning welding in Gurugram before allegedly entering organised crime. He also spent time in jail, where he came into contact with hardened criminals.
He was previously booked in a motorcycle theft case and an Arms Act case registered against him in Sonipat.
The accused had done a survey of this playground in Juhu for the last 10 days. The shooters had even laid out a plan on Oct 11 but the actor did not turn up.
Meanwhile, police said Ansari and Singh are wanted in a case of attempt to murder in Amritsar last month. A police officer said, “The duo were hired to fire at a businessman from Amritsar who escaped unhurt. Sources associated with the investigation suggest that the accused monitored Shroff’s movements through social media posts, videos and reels shared by the actor and his fans. Amritsar police will seek custody of Ansari and Singh after Mumbai Crime Branch completes its investigation into the firing.